I'm an enormous fan of the pianist James Rhodes, even more so as I'm reading his remarkable memoir that encompasses abuse, breakdown and addiction. A tribute to the healing power of music, his book is poignant and painful but has continuous flashes of dark wit, even lines that made me laugh out loud (as does his concert banter.)

In addition to heart-wrenching details from his own life, he shares so much fascinating information about the great composers, both funny and tragic and everything in between.

I never knew that Beethoven took his father to court at 16 to wrest control of his musical earnings (presaging Beyonce and her manager dad by two centuries).

Or that Brahms grew up playing music in brothels which screwed up his relationships with women, although he did rush to Robert Schumann's wife's side at her husband's deathbed in order to destroy their love letters.

Or that Rachmaninov was "a giant, 6 foot 6, manic, miserable, bipolar, millionaire virtuoso pianist and composer" referred to by his contemporaries as "a six foot scowl."

As a GIFT FOR YOU, I've created a 5 hour Spotify Playlist (in chapter order) of not just that piece but of each track James Rhodes recommends (95% Rhodes' favorite recordings with some educated guesses on the rest) that I'm happy to share.

I'm so proud of my great friend and Creative Cient Elizabeth DaVita-Raeburn and her new book, THE DEATH OF CANCER.

The book is co-authored with her father, Dr. Vincent T. DeVita Jr.--former director of the National Cancer Institute, former physician-in-chief at Memorial Sloan Kettering, director of the Yale Cancer Center, and former president of the American Cancer Society.

As Kirkus Reviews says:

"One of the world's most renowned and forward-thinking oncologists recounts 35 years of cancer research and tells us why we should be optimistic about the future....One of the most absorbing and empowering science histories to hit the shelves in recent years."